Carlton Banks is once again hitting the dance floor — but not like you think! Alfonso Ribeiro will cohost Dancing With the Stars’ upcoming season 31 alongside Tyra Banks, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum announced.
‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros, More Celebs React to Show’s Disney+ Move
“Dancing with the Stars has been such an important part of my life for so many years, and I am ecstatic to officially re-join this tight-knit family as cohost,” the season 19 winner, 50, said in a press release on Thursday, July 14. “Tyra and I have a longstanding friendship that I hope will resonate with all of the fans at home as we kick off this new season on Disney+.”
For her part, the supermodel, 48, gushed about her new cohost, whom she’s known for decades.
Former ‘DWTS’ Partners That Have Stayed Good Friends Off the Dance Floor
“I’ve known Alfonso since I was 19 years old and he always puts a smile on my face whenever I see him,” Banks — who starred alongside Ribeiro on eight episodes of Fresh Prince in 1993 — gushed in a statement. “Having such a fun-loving, longtime friend as cohost warms my heart. Bantering back and forth with him live is going to be so much fun!”
Notably, the pair will cohost DWTS’ inaugural season on Disney+ when it premieres in the fall. The dancing competition series’ move was announced in April, making season 31 the first in the show’s history to not air on ABC.
“We’re gonna be the first live streaming competition show in the United States and we’re gonna be on Disney+ and that’s really exciting,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba shared via her Instagram Story at the time. “Dancing With the Stars has always been a little bit of a trailblazer. Not a little bit, but you know, who knew? Ballroom dancing, way back when?”
Longtime pro Cheryl Burke was also excited for the move, telling Us Weekly that the switch to streaming is “an exciting new chapter for the show and for the streaming world in general.”
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“I’m excited for the show possibilities over at Disney+ and am daydreaming about how we’re going to pull of quick changes and set changes with no commercial breaks!” Burke, 38, revealed. “I think it’s great that we’ll have an opportunity for potential new fans to discover us and know that this change will give our loyal followers from over the last 30 seasons something to look forward to as well. Just imagine what Disney Night on DWTS will look like now?!”
In addition to Ribeiro and Banks, other DWTS fan-favorites headed to Disney+ for season 31 are judges Len Goodman, Inaba, 54, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.
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